Well for a slight introduction my name is Javian and I currently live in Charlotte, North Carolina. I'm currently 15 and a Sophomore in high school. After school I plan on entering the veterinary field and attending Tuskegee University. I recently got introduced through my YouTube stream to AntsCanada which sparked my sudden interest in Ants. Not the best introduction but you guys get the point .

A few days ago ( April 19th) to be exact, I found my first queen at my bus stop on the way to school. Which struck me by surprise because just a few days ago I had spotted a queen cross my path which surprised me because I knew they were big but she was just MASSIVE! Disappointingly I was unable to catch her and ended up loosing her in the brush when I came back. So of course I prepared for a next possible run in. So when I seen this one roaming on the side walk at 6:36 AM I was quick to put her in an empty water bottle until I got home to a test tube. I'm pretty sure it a Camponotus queen just not exactly sure of its specific species. Anyways I had previous knowledge of queens and what to do when you first get them so I knew how to build the proper test tube set up and all that.

That day I was reading that I should keep my queen in the dark and to leave her undisturbed but I just couldn't help myself, I check on her everyday. Today I can count 7 eggs. And here's where a question comes, 5 of her eggs look normal and 2 of them look clear, super small and a little bent up, she also keeps them away from the other brood. Is this normal? Could I have stressed her out and caused her to spray formic acid and damage her eggs? PLEASE HELP! I'm probably over reacting but I'm going to leave her alone from now on in the dark, at peace until she has her first few workers to enjoy a real meal.

Anyways, I'm pretty ecstatic to say I have my first queen. Luckily Camponotus genus takes time to populate because I don't have a job so buying formicariums will be a struggle atm. But I have time, a lot of time at that to save up. Are there any companies that you think are really good? I know about Ants Canada anyone else?

I'm thinking about blogging my interesting journey here because pretty sure that I'll need help along the way from a community full of ant lovers of all divisions. I have tons of questions and cant wait to see my colony bloom. I can't wait to meet new people! I'll try to post as often as possible, and post pictures when I can (I need to identify her specific species). Ill probably post one tomorrow hopefully not to scare her. Thanks Everyone!

So, this morning around 1:00 AM I was able to snag a few pictures of the current test tube and my queen and her brood. I did this not to try to stress her but to try to atleast get some help with identifying her specific species, so I know how to better care for her. WARNING: many pictures from the same angle lol! In some of the pictures the cotton throws her head out of foucus. Let me know If more pictures are needed.